Los Angeles Times
February 17, 1991, Sunday, Home Edition

POP EYE

By PATRICK GOLDSTEIN



   GRAMMY'S GAME SHOW?: Maybe Sinead O'Connor had a point after all. The Irish
pop spitfire was roundly blasted for her recent withdrawal from this year's
Grammy Awards, protesting what she sees as the music industry's materialistic
values.  O'Connor's action came before anyone got a look at the current issue of
Entertainment Weekly, which contains a full-page ad for a 900-number Grammy
Trivia Contest. The contest, sponsored by the National Academy of Recording Arts
& Science and Phone Programs USA, offers $25,000 in cash, a trip to the Grammy's
(and a chance to "Meet Music's Biggest Stars!") to contestants who successfully
answer a series of trivia questions. The ad is illustrated with photos of such
past Grammy winners as Bonnie Raitt, Paul McCartney, New Kids on the Block, k.d.
lang and Ray Charles.

   Is it really a good idea for the Grammys to be associated with a 900-number
trivia contest? "I know that 900-numbers have an image problem and people might
assume that we're trying to gouge the public," said NARAS chief Michael Greene.
"But that's not at all the case here. This is strictly a promotional idea which
was crafted to simply break even. We'd been looking for a way to get involved in
some conscious-raising activities, to send out the message that it's Grammys
season, and we thought this was a good way to spread the word. If we actually
make any money from the contest, it's earmarked for Grammy in the Schools, our
national high school education foundation."